


the devil in all his wisdom

by caesarions



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Emotional Constipation, Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Possibly Unrequited Love, Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 00:04:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17456825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caesarions/pseuds/caesarions
Summary: In the tales, the knight receives a fair lady for his loyal service to his lord. However, what could be a happy ending for some is a personal hell for others. Even if he does not realize it yet, others are more perceptive—particularly thieves and taguels.





	the devil in all his wisdom

**Author's Note:**

> title is from the The Battle by Blood, Sweat & Tears because it's on every frederick and fredchrom fanmix. give it a listen!
> 
> it may be naga's year of 2019, but i'm replaying awakening and this idea wouldn't leave my head. hopefully someone will still give it a read. 
> 
> takes place right after validar's assassination attempt on emmeryn but before they leave (so between chapters 6 & 7). thus why gaius & panne are the main characters.

Dawn bloomed outside of the Ylisstol palace, though on the wrong side. The sun impaled long shadows of castle spires into Frederick’s back. Those who had awoken as well, the best merchants and patrons seeking the best deals, filled the marketplace lower on the hill.

“The pay must be good.”

Though he had been sweeping the grime and gravel from the palace street, Frederick stopped to blink. He cursed his dulled senses for letting someone mesh with the shadows without him noticing. That is, until Gaius apparated near the side of the castle stairs. This was his line of work. Now that Gaius was in the Shepherds’ employment, it was in his best interest to do well at his specialty, lest Frederick admonish him.

Perhaps Frederick would still find his reasons.

“Gaius,” the knight huffed. “Why have you risen before dawn?”

“Nightlife is a thief’s life.” Shrugging nonchalantly, he stepped forward, though his figure was no less dark.

Frederick eyed a pebble he had kicked out of place. Soon enough, his furrowed brows were directed on Gaius again. “You admit to stealing from innocent Ylisseans?”

“No!” Gaius spread his arms to show his person, free of pilfered goods. “...I meant my sleep schedule just hasn’t caught up with the new job.”

Standing straight, Frederick blinked again. “Oh. I have several teas for that—if you are telling the truth.”

“Nothing less from a thief.” A sardonic twist remained on his lips. “Are you allowed to share your babysitting kit with anyone else, though?”

“Is this about the pay you mentioned?” As soon as it left his lips, Frederick sighed inwardly. He resumed sweeping so he could at least complete his chores while entertaining Gaius’s follies.

“I wondered why you’d serve such annoying royals,” the dastardly rogue shrugged, “but then I remembered that they’re _the_ royals. I doubt anyone pays better.”

Frederick frowned. “You do not really believe that.”

“Princess does have candy.” Gaius waved his hands, weighing his options. “I’m undecided on Blue, though. Why don’t you think he’s annoying? Out of everyone, you would have the right to.”

“...Coin alone rarely inspires such acts of devotion in a man,” Frederick mumbled after clearing his throat. “I am under a knight’s oath, not a measly contract.”

“You can say _like mine_. It’s okay.” He stopped leaning on the palace stairs. “You’d think _kill the Exalt_ would’ve been my first order, not a secret until we got there.”

Shifting from foot to foot, Frederick bit his tongue. “...We all make mistakes.”

“Except for knights, the tales say.” Gaius pointed a black-gloved hand to the ground. “And yet, knights clear gravel that us commoners will kick back onto the path by the next morning?”

“Yes.” His eyes followed the direction of Gaius’s fingers with a shameful flush. Such fruitless quests distracted from the main one in Frederick’s life.

Despite all of his training, he could not read Gaius’s blasé expression as the other man closed the gap. “Knights also follow their lords on whatever ragtag volunteer force he decides to create?”

“Not everyone gets the chance, I suppose,” Frederick huffs. “Milord is special in that regard, as well as many others.”

Finally, Gaius’s icy visage melted, only to raise a judgmental brow. “Like what?”

The great knight’s knuckles blanched as he steeled himself with the broomstick.

“Do not mistake me,” he changed the subject with haste. “We created the Shepherds together. I stood behind him.”

“An even greater breach of contract, then.” When Frederick opened his mouth, Gaius raised a finger as well. The impertinence of such a man! “Right, oath. My mistake.”

As the sun climbed overhead, so too did the spires’ shadows, raking their way up the hill to the two men like dragon claws. Pressing the bristles into the dirt, Frederick grumbled, “Why do you torment me so?”

“You should ask the other guy that,” Gaius shrugged. Then, his lips curled into a half-helpful, half-sinister smile. “That observation was a little too smart for me. But I wanted to scope out my new business partners. Old habits die hard.”

“Need I remind the dark thief that he joined over Lady Lissa’s candy,” Frederick rebuked, sticking his nose in the air.

“You needn’t, good sir,” the other imitated him. “And when the bag is empty, who knows if I’ll stay with the Shepherds?”

The anxiety that gnawed at Frederick’s brain when he was idle for too long returned in full force. A jolt as if from Robin’s tome sprang his hands into action. The knight turned away. “Milord could easily replenish it. Any departure upsets him.”

“Is that why you stay?”

Coming so suddenly, so simply, as only a commoner could, the question knocked Frederick off-kilter. His broom stilled for a heartbeat—by standards of his own heartbeat, which thundered like a militia on march.

Frederick swallowed and swept again.

He murmured as to get lost in the dust storm he had kicked up, “You do not know why I stay.”

“I don’t think you do, either.” It was in vain. Gaius hissed over his shoulder. “But you’re Frederick the Wary, not the Wise.”

Frozen in place by fear, Frederick did not see the thief leave. He did not even hear it.

Despite the humiliation, Frederick continued to clear the path of gravel. He was more thorough than usual as punishment. When he reached the bottom of the hill, bright laughter floated up from the marketplace. The sunshine bore down on his back, as if he was not sweating the moment Gaius appeared with a twinkle in his eye. Both sent him back to more chores in the recesses of the castle.

Frederick knew. He knew, and that was the problem.

 

Twilight died outside of the armory, the weapons casting long spikes of shadows into the ground. So too did one now stand behind him.

“May I be of assistance?” Frederick bristled over his shoulder. He was not so eager for another interruption in his chores.

As the bodies and bustle of the city had hidden Gaius, the silent grass of the training grounds had hidden Panne’s approach. The taguel lingered at the open archway, the fading sun dappling her coat in bruising blacks and purples.

The soft brush of cloth on metal was much like a maiden’s dress on the floor—not that Frederick would know. Frederick stopped cleaning the iron lance as he waited.

“You may not,” she finally answered. “I was only observing you.”

“Did I pique your interest?” He could not imagine why. When Panne joined the fray in her beast form, Frederick the Wary kept a wary distance. Until his childhood fears kept him further away from his lord than he liked, that is. He would conquer his fear. He must. Perhaps Frederick would ask for her assistance in the endeavor. 

Panne nodded, her ears—braids?—ear-braids flopping with her. “Yes. I can see that we are one and the same.”

Now, he set the lance aside. It would be for Sumia, since Frederick did not want to risk a steel lance yet. Though he resented her feelings for his lord, he did not want the flier toppling over and impaling herself, as she was wont to do.

“...Pray tell, good lady,” Frederick continued, though the invitation was almost lost under the clink of metal tips.

Panne heard it anyway. She stepped in and prowled the corners of the armory. “I am no lady, but I am aware that is your nature. My warren owed a great debt to Ylisse.”

“We ourselves are equals,” Frederick prefaced, “but the oath of knighthood is not quite an equal comparison.”

After scanning the array of weapons, Panne leaned against the stone wall. “Then it is well that I do not speak of knighthood. Surely that does not cover your time in the Shepherds.”

“Would it please mi— you to expound your great debt?” The great knight stood straight.

“No,” the taguel simply said. “Would you care to explain your devotion beyond your oath?”

Frederick whipped around. “It means little.”

“You would prove a fool to lie to a taguel. Your heart betrays you even now.” Without making a sound—she never did, even in her beast form—Panne had stepped behind him.

As his throat closed reed-thin, Frederick stumbled over his own feet and into the rack of lances. The large man squeaked, “Great paladin’s helm, there’s no way you can know about that!”

Panne’s arm shot out to keep the lances from impaling the pair, but perhaps it would be better if they did. Even so, Frederick worked on setting the wooden rack back on its feet to hide his burning cheeks.

“...Beat. Your heartbeat.” Panne’s sensitive ears twitched.

“O—of course.” Keeping his gaze glued to the stone floor, Frederick swallowed. “It appears that I am the fool.” Not for the first time, and never for the last.

“No more than I,” Panne shrugged. She did not force Frederick to look up at her. “I follow the Shepherds now, after my debt is paid, just because the Exalt was kind to me.”

“Lady Emmeryn is kind to all. It is a trait shared among the siblings,” Frederick said automatically. Chipping away at his stalwart exterior was the memory of an open palm in an emerald field. As with Sumia, Frederick wished Robin no ill will because the rest of his palms had been for Frederick, from his knighting ceremony to getting knocked off of his horse by dark magic during the assassination attempt.

Realizing Panne stood silent, Frederick cleared his throat. He finally glanced up through the prison for the prison of his lashes. “Do you require a weapon for the march tomorrow?”

“...If your mind were not scrambled,” Panne chuckled, gesturing to her inhuman qualities, “I would be offended.”

His face still aflame, Frederick mumbled anyway, “Of course. My sincerest apologies.”

“You do not need to apologize if you promise me something,” Panne propositioned.

Frederick blinked owlishly, especially as they were enveloped in full darkness. “Pardon?”

“Man-spawn waste so much time. Pomp and circumstance and such.” Panne stuck her nose in the air. “Since I am sticking around for no good reason, I want to see _your_ good reason come to fruition. Do not disappoint.”

Frederick gaped like a fish.

“...S—some circumstances are inescapable!” he defended once his mind returned to him. “I will promise nothing!”

“You would never say such a thing,” Panne pointed out.

That pushed the veins on Frederick’s neck to near bursting. The great knight lowered his head. “...I am his man in all things.”

“My point exactly.” The taguel turned tail. “Good night, Frederick.”

As soon as she exited the armory, Panne’s fur melted into the night, as Frederick wished he could into the ground. She could only disappear because she had eaten into Frederick’s allotted time to light the castle torches, though she had gifted Frederick another sort of light. Still, a hoard of Risen could have stormed the castle grounds as they spoke. Frederick would fight them all single-handedly as punishment.

After cleaning the final weapons, he departed the armory to pick up the broken vestiges of his other chores. Perhaps Panne remained in the shadows and watched Frederick as he went. Somehow, he thought he would be sensing her gaze more often.

If their two new recruits already knew, then what about the rest of the Shepherds?

Why didn’t Chrom?

**Author's Note:**

> i left this note until the end so you could decide what interpretation you like. it can be unrequited, but i prefer requited since i have the moral backbone of a chocolate éclair.
> 
> thanks for reading! if you enjoyed, any kudos & comments are appreciated!


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